Cooperative Program

Best Practices of
Regional Ombudsman Programs

Project Description: 

Cooperative Program with area libraries to house an Ombudsman binder which contains the most current licensure survey for each nursing home in the region.

Local area Ombudsman provides the library with a binder which contains the annual survey for each nursing facility in the region. Updates are sent the library and the resource librarian puts them in the binder for use by consumers. The feedback from the libraries is that consumers really utilize this resource material. Many consumers do not have access to the internet and the HCFA "Nursing Home Compare" information. Rural consumers appreciate the information placed in a non-threatening location where they can review at their leisure. 

Impact:

Increased awareness and consumer education has been the impact of this project. Resource librarians tell me that consumers are wearing out of Ombudsman binder. The surveys are inclusive with an Ombudsman summary which prefaces each survey. The Ombudsman summary is a user-friendly snapshot of the entire survey, but is careful to use the same verbage as the survey, however abbreviated. An example is enclosed.